Those who barbecue with a charcoal grill have to empty the grill's ashes on a regular basis. This is usually done by removing the grates used for holding the charcoal and for doing the cooking; then the ashes are either scooped from the grill into a suitable container or the entire grill is turned upside down over a garbage can or over a newspaper. Neither of these processes is neat, and it usually results in a considerable amount of wind-blown ash.
Some grill manufacturers have attempted to address this problem. One company uses a shallow, slightly concave dish to catch the ashes as they fall through the vent holes from the grill. Another company developed a pan which was internal to the grill and served as a collection vessel, so that the ashes could be removed simply by lifting the pan from the inside of the grill.
The former device is so shallow the wind-blown ash is still a problem, and the device has a very limited capacity. In addition, removal of the device from the grill inevitably results in some spilled ashes.
The latter device, though no longer on the market, was limited closely to one type of grill and has the usual disadvantages.
An object of the invention is to provide a device which is easily used by anybody and is adaptable to most kettle-type grills that are currently on the market.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ash collecting device which can collect ashes from the bottom of kettle-type grills.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an ash collecting device that will hold a sufficient volume of ashes so that it does not have to be removed very often.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ash collector which enables the removal of ashes from the bottom of a kettle-type grill without having to remove the device or touch the ashes.